We have finally moved to a new website:
Please update your bookmarks. All information on this blog will be deleted soon.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
New Website
If you have followed this blog and found it interesting or even, hopefully, useful, you might like to know that we are about to launch a new website for the youth ministry of the Irish Province of Augustinians.
The blog, while useful, is quite limited - this new website which will go live during this week will give us a lot more flexibility and also allow us to make the archiving of useful material much easier and hopefully more user friendly.
It would be really helpful to get some feedback on how you have found the blog and also to let me know what you think of the new website
The website address will be given on this blog, probably on thursday if all goes well.
Please support us in this venture as without your input it will never achieve its potential
Possidius
Thursday, December 10, 2009
3rd Sunday of Advent Year C - 13th December 2009
To appreciate our regular Advent readings, it might help to have a split personality. When Paul, for instance, reminds the Philippian community, “The Lord is near!” he’s talking about something quite different from John the Baptizer’s statement, “ . . . One mightier than I is coming.” Though Jesus is the subject of both sentences, the two authors aren’t referring to the same arrival. Luke’s John is obviously talking about the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry; Paul is speaking of Jesus’ Second Coming in the Parousia.
Neither is saying anything about Christmas.We must always remember that Christmas is a relatively new feast. Most in the early church believed there was little reason to celebrate Jesus’ birth. What happened in Jerusalem around 30 CE is at the center of our faith. What took place in Bethlehem around 6 BCE in on the periphery of that faith. Only when people began to put Jesus’ death and resurrection in the background did Jesus’ birth become important.Our current system of configuring years according to before or after Jesus’ birth couldn’t have happened until the fifth century or later. Had someone in the early church been so inspired to date years based on events in Jesus’ life, we today would talk about BJE and AJR (Before Jesus’ Resurrection and After Jesus’ Resurrection).
We really have no idea what the historical John the Baptist said or predicted about Jesus. The only John we encounter in the gospels is the John presented to us by Christian authors. That John evolved into the “precursor” of Jesus - sent by God to prepare Jesus’ way. Scholars constantly remind us that such a picture of the Baptist is more theological that historical. John can only be the Messiah’s forerunner for those who believe Jesus is the Messiah. During the period the gospels were being composed, a good number of Jews thought John, not Jesus, should have been given that title. Our evangelists had one eye on this group when they wrote anything about John. That’s why today Luke has him say, “I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his (Jesus’) sandals.”
For Christians, Jesus is the superior; John the inferior.Yet, listen carefully to John’s response to the crowd’s question, “What should we do?” Sounds a lot like we’d expect Jesus to respond. “Share with the person who has none. . . Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone.. . .“ No wonder scholars presume that, before John’s arrest, Jesus was simply proud to be one of his disciples. They both followed kindred spirits. Only after John’s martyrdom does Jesus go public; only then do we discern a distinction between the two.
Following today’s three readings, it wouldn’t at all hurt to imitate our sacred authors and take our eyes off Christmas for a few moments.Paul’s imminent Parousia never quite panned out. But even in spite of his miscalculation, the Apostle knows it’s the “peace of God” which Jesus already brought us that makes all the difference in our lives, no matter when the Parousia takes place.Perhaps Zephania says it best: “Yahweh, our God, is in your midst!” No matter what, God is present to us in the person of the risen Jesus right here and now.All our Christian authors presumed the risen Jesus is in our midst. Our whole life is changed because of that presence. Reflecting on Jesus present in our daily lives is much more significant than reflecting on what happened in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Second Sunday of Advent - 6th of December 2009
“From shadows and symbols to the truth,” (ex umbris et imaginibus in veritatem): this was the personal motto of John Henry Newman (1801-1890). Since ancient times Christian writers have used this expression, and others like it, to place Jesus in relation to the prophets who went before him. In him there is a coming out into the light after the long night of darkness and half-light; he is “the loving-kindness of the heart of our God who visits us like the dawn from on high” (Luke 1:78).
But the coming of this Light is a more precise event than dawn. The birth of Jesus, though we may not know its precise hour or date or even its year, is an historical event, and so it is precise in principle. Luke seems insistent on pinning it down, in the cumbersome way that people dated events in the ancient world. This insistence on real history sets our faith in contrast with some other profound faiths. In the Rig-Veda, for example, you read:
Like a youthful maiden, Dawn shines brightly forth,
Stirring to motion every living creature.
Divine Fire was kindled for human use;
Dawn created light, driving away the dark.
John's gospel says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (1:9), but it is Luke's gospel in particular that paints in the humble details of Christ's birth. And it is Luke's gospel that we are reading on the Sundays of Advent this year.
Light can be contemplated for itself, but its practical purpose is to illuminate a path. Ultimately it is “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:79).
Our lives are a practical matter. Thomas Merton wrote, “The spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived….Jesus lived the ordinary life of the people of his time, in order to sanctify the ordinary lives of people of all time. If we want to be spiritual, then, let us first of all live our lives.”
But the coming of this Light is a more precise event than dawn. The birth of Jesus, though we may not know its precise hour or date or even its year, is an historical event, and so it is precise in principle. Luke seems insistent on pinning it down, in the cumbersome way that people dated events in the ancient world. This insistence on real history sets our faith in contrast with some other profound faiths. In the Rig-Veda, for example, you read:
Like a youthful maiden, Dawn shines brightly forth,
Stirring to motion every living creature.
Divine Fire was kindled for human use;
Dawn created light, driving away the dark.
John's gospel says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (1:9), but it is Luke's gospel in particular that paints in the humble details of Christ's birth. And it is Luke's gospel that we are reading on the Sundays of Advent this year.
Light can be contemplated for itself, but its practical purpose is to illuminate a path. Ultimately it is “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 1:79).
Our lives are a practical matter. Thomas Merton wrote, “The spiritual life is first of all a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied, it is to be lived….Jesus lived the ordinary life of the people of his time, in order to sanctify the ordinary lives of people of all time. If we want to be spiritual, then, let us first of all live our lives.”
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
The Murphy Report on Child Sexual Abuse in Dublin
For those interested in the Report of the Murphy Commission on Clerical Child Sexual Abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese follow this link.
This is a damning indictment of the behaviour of many Church figures in their failure to protect children. It makes very tragic reading but it is not something that we can ever allow ourselves to forget.
Just copy the link and paste into your navigation bar
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000504
This is a damning indictment of the behaviour of many Church figures in their failure to protect children. It makes very tragic reading but it is not something that we can ever allow ourselves to forget.
Just copy the link and paste into your navigation bar
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PB09000504
Saturday, November 28, 2009
First Sunday of Advent - 29th of November 2009
Luke appears to be the first author of the Christian Scriptures to presume Jesus’ Parousia won’t take place during his lifetime. Paul and Luke’s two gospel predecessors - Mark and Matthew - faithfully held onto the hope that Jesus’ Second Coming was just around the corner. By the mid-80s, Luke has given up that hope. He takes for granted he and his readers will live their whole lives, die natural deaths, and only then experience their personal Parousias.
Once Christians begin to believe Jesus isn’t coming back anytime soon, they’re forced to look at their lives of faith from a different perspective. As a once-upon-a-time assistant high school track coach, I know the difference between sprinters and distance runners. Their training isn’t the same. Luke is attempting to turn early Christians sprinters into marathoners. That’s one of the factors influencing today’s gospel pericope.
Though the evangelist still believes Jesus will return one day, that belief should no longer be the focus of our behavior. Luke continually tries to take the eyes of his readers off Jesus’ Parousia and refocus them on their daily lives. Since they’re going to be “in it” for the long run, he warns them to “be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares . . . . Pray constantly for the strength to escape whatever is in prospect, and to stand secure before the Son of Man.”
Because of this new emphasis, it makes sense, for instance, that, when in 9:23 Luke copies Jesus’ command from Mark about carrying one’s cross, he adds one significant word: “daily.”
Yet even when Paul composes the earliest Christian writing we possess - I Thessalonians - he also finds it necessary to stress the importance of paying attention to our daily activities. “May
the Lord increase you,” he writes, “and make you overflow with love for one another and for all, even as our love does for you.
Now, my brothers and sisters, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, even as you learned from us how to conduct ourselves in a way pleasing to God - which you are indeed doing - so must you learn to make still greater progress.”
In some sense, the only difference between Paul and Luke’s morality is that the former’s community has one eye on giving themselves to one another and one eye on the heavens, expecting Jesus’ imminent return, while the latter is focusing both eyes on their relationships with others.
It should be clear by now that whether Jesus returns in one minute or in one million years (as Teilhard de Chardin suggested), we should be concerned with loving one another.
Even without Jesus in the picture, Jeremiah agrees on the love aspect of life. Active during a period when Jewish kings left a lot to be desired, the prophet looks toward a future in which a better king will appear. At that time, Yahweh will “raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” Things will be so good during his reign that people will begin calling Jerusalem “Yahweh is our justice.”
Remembering that biblical justice is the way our sacred authors speak about the proper relationships we build with God and those around us, Jeremiah is promising that when that perfect king appears, he’ll follow Yahweh’s lead and concentrate on perfecting those relationships.
No matter what the future holds, unless we’re found giving ourselves generously to others, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble, whether later today, or at the end of our lives.
Once Christians begin to believe Jesus isn’t coming back anytime soon, they’re forced to look at their lives of faith from a different perspective. As a once-upon-a-time assistant high school track coach, I know the difference between sprinters and distance runners. Their training isn’t the same. Luke is attempting to turn early Christians sprinters into marathoners. That’s one of the factors influencing today’s gospel pericope.
Though the evangelist still believes Jesus will return one day, that belief should no longer be the focus of our behavior. Luke continually tries to take the eyes of his readers off Jesus’ Parousia and refocus them on their daily lives. Since they’re going to be “in it” for the long run, he warns them to “be on guard lest your spirits become bloated with indulgence and drunkenness and worldly cares . . . . Pray constantly for the strength to escape whatever is in prospect, and to stand secure before the Son of Man.”
Because of this new emphasis, it makes sense, for instance, that, when in 9:23 Luke copies Jesus’ command from Mark about carrying one’s cross, he adds one significant word: “daily.”
Yet even when Paul composes the earliest Christian writing we possess - I Thessalonians - he also finds it necessary to stress the importance of paying attention to our daily activities. “May
the Lord increase you,” he writes, “and make you overflow with love for one another and for all, even as our love does for you.Now, my brothers and sisters, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, even as you learned from us how to conduct ourselves in a way pleasing to God - which you are indeed doing - so must you learn to make still greater progress.”
In some sense, the only difference between Paul and Luke’s morality is that the former’s community has one eye on giving themselves to one another and one eye on the heavens, expecting Jesus’ imminent return, while the latter is focusing both eyes on their relationships with others.
It should be clear by now that whether Jesus returns in one minute or in one million years (as Teilhard de Chardin suggested), we should be concerned with loving one another.
Even without Jesus in the picture, Jeremiah agrees on the love aspect of life. Active during a period when Jewish kings left a lot to be desired, the prophet looks toward a future in which a better king will appear. At that time, Yahweh will “raise up for David a just shoot; he shall do what is right and just in the land.” Things will be so good during his reign that people will begin calling Jerusalem “Yahweh is our justice.”
Remembering that biblical justice is the way our sacred authors speak about the proper relationships we build with God and those around us, Jeremiah is promising that when that perfect king appears, he’ll follow Yahweh’s lead and concentrate on perfecting those relationships.
No matter what the future holds, unless we’re found giving ourselves generously to others, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble, whether later today, or at the end of our lives.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
The History and Political Significance of the Feast of Christ the King
By Mgr. Peter Eliott
When the heroic Jesuit, Blessed Miguel Pro, was shot by order of a dictator in Mexico City in 1928, he held his arms outstretched and cried "Viva Cristo Re!" - "Long live Christ the King!" This was the cry of not a few Catholics in the pre-War era of the last century.
For some it expressed the vision of a totally Catholic society, even a return to "Christendom", the vision of a totally Christian world that prevailed in Europe in the Middle Ages. Such unrealistic ideals failed to gain much ground among Australian Catholic social thinkers, but they still held on to the "social kingship" of Christ. They believed that, in a real sense, we are working to make Jesus the Lord of human society, imbuing society with his ethic of truth, love and justice.
They were inspired by the courageous social teaching of Pope Pius XI, who established the feast of Christ the King. But the Pope's intentions to set Christ's reign against totalitarian ideologies in the 'Thirties were thwarted. The "social kingship" was high-jacked by extremists and opportunists, particularly in France by those who collaborated with the Nazis during the German Occupation (1940-1944). In reaction to such political delusions, the post-War social doctrine of the Church avoided the militancy found in some verses of hymns such as "Hail Redeemer, King Divine!" or "Thee, O Christ the Prince of Ages".
At Vatican II, there were references to Christ's kingdom and his priestly, regal and prophetic roles, but we find no specific teaching on his "social kingship". In the post-conciliar liturgy the reign of Christ has been generalized and spiritualized. Now Jesus the Lord rules in a cosmic sense and in our hearts and lives. That is true and good, but should he not also be reigning in society?
The social reign of the Lord could be "re-visioned" in modern perspectives such as: the teachings of Vatican II, the cultural revolutions, the social teachings of John Paul II, the implosion of Communism, accelerating secularist challenges and the dreams and hopes of the Third Millennium.
A Kingdom of Justice
One common meeting point for a new vision of the reign of Jesus is a concern for justice. In the magnificent preface of the Mass of Christ the King the celebrant proclaims that his is a "kingdom of justice". But justice issues reveal a tension between the "now" and the "not yet" of the Kingdom. Jesus tells us that "The Kingdom of God is among you". Yet he teaches us to pray that the kingdom may come, that God's will may be done "on earth". Then we "wait in joyful hope" for his Kingdom.
We welcome his reign among us, yet we look forward to its coming. We fight for justice, yet we long for that day when justice will be given to the poor, the hungry and oppressed, the suffering. We see only too clearly that Christ does not reign on earth. The lying "lord of the world" (a description of Satan in John's Gospel), reigns through corruption, greed, drug abuse, abortions, racism, wars, exploitation of women, elderly folk and children, contempt for the family, religious persecution etc.
A Scriptural Basis
Amidst these tensions, the Scriptures do find a place for the social reign of Christ. We learn through Revelation that there are at least four visions of the Kingdom of God: the cosmic vision, the inward vision, the social vision and the future vision of the Kingdom. Christians should try to keep these visions together in a healthy balance. To exaggerate one at the expense of the others robs the kingdom teaching of Jesus of much of its richness and depth. First we need to return to the Old Testament, finding in the Hebrew Scriptures the basis of Christ's kingdom teaching.
The God of Israel reigned at a cosmic level. The "Lord" is also the "King of the Universe" in the Passover table prayers that have been adapted in the preparation of the gifts in our Roman Rite Mass: "Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread/wine to offer….". Through the temple worship God was adored in "enthronement psalms", that still influence our liturgies.
According to the inward vision of the Kingdom, evident in the later Wisdom Literature, the God of Israel ruled as Lord in the heart of each just person, faithful to Covenant Law. At times this was only a "remnant", a faithful minority, and under persecution the faith of Israel had to be guarded in a discreet way. Often those who were faithful were the poorest of the poor.
In terms of the social vision of the Kingdom, God reigned through the corporate fidelity of his chosen People to their great Covenant. By living the Law revealed to Moses in the ten "words" of the Lord (the commandments), Israel accepted the kingship of One who set the terms of the Covenant and yet was always faithful to it, a pattern that is clear in the covenant treaties of the ancient Middle East. Thus, in social terms, God was the real King and protector of the community, no matter whether it was governed by judges or kings.
The prophets affirmed the divine reign in terms of radical social justice for the poor and outcasts and strangers. At a more intimate social level, God reigned in the family through the royal mission of married love, especially by raising children as members of the chosen People.
The future vision of the divine Kingdom developed in two stages, first in the hope of a promised Land, especially as Israel moved from Egypt into the prepared place. Then, after all the twists and turns of living under earthly kings ended in the captivity in Babylon, the people hoped for a new kingdom of Israel, a restoration and triumph, God's vindication of his suffering People, crushed by Syria, Babylon, Greece and Rome. This developed into the prophetic hope of a promised saviour figure, an earthly king sent on a divine mission, the Messiah. In some literature he will be a new David, that is, the ideal king, the true "son of David". In other traditions he is a celestial "Son of Man".
The Messiah King
In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) these traditions converge around Jesus of Nazareth and his coming. He reveals his kingship by constantly teaching about "the Kingdom" or reign of God. In certain parables, in his ethical teaching, his warnings and promises of God's future, he reveals himself as the Messiah, the Christ, an anointed King, who is equally Priest and Prophet. Here and in the world to come he is both Son of God and Son of Man. Yet his Kingdom parables bear a subtle theme - the "hiddenness" of the Kingdom, its secret dimension, its sudden arrival, its intangible qualities.
His Kingdom bears the paradox that the "not so respectable" characters of society (prostitutes and racketeers) can storm it by their radical repentance. He reminds his listeners that it belongs to those regarded as "little ones" in the world of his time, women, especially widows, small children, the sick, the lame and the blind. They will take first place in the royal nuptial banquet that features in his teaching and is part of the climax of the whole New Testament library (Revelation 19: 6-9).
The healing miracles draw these little ones into the divine order. The carefully recorded miracles are common to all four Gospels. Undoubtedly historical and essential to any account of the life of Jesus, his many miracles are not conjuring tricks designed to impress or to impose faith. They too herald a new order, the coming of the Kingdom of the true Messiah when all will be set right. In John's Gospel they are the "signs" of the Kingdom, also presented as the fulfilment of Isaiah's messianic prophecy in Luke's Gospel (Luke 4: 16-27).
In John's Gospel Pontius Pilate retorts: "So you are a king then?" (John 18: 37) But Jesus had already said, "my kingship is not of this world". Does that mean it is "otherworldly"? Not necessarily, hence our caution about over-emphasising a inward-looking vision of his reign: "the kingdom of God is within you". In John's Gospel the terms "this world" have a derogatory meaning: "Mine is no worldly kingship." is what Jesus says to doubting Pilate, in fact implicitly contrasting his Kingdom to the ruthless rule of Rome. But there is also the nuance that his kingdom is still to come, the reign of truth. First he must wear a mocking crown of thorns and be enthroned on a criminal's cross. This King must die to gather his people around him. This King is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah's prophecies (Isaiah 53).
His kingship is sealed in Resurrection triumph and particularly in the Ascension. In that "enthronement" event we are called both to look forward to his return and to go out to "all nations" building his Kingdom here. The living Church is the dawn of his Kingdom. Through the Church his Kingdom grows. In every act of love and justice, the gentle dominion of the Lord extends, even among those who, as yet, do not know his name. Christ reigns as we build a just social order, beginning in the family and by affirming the basic right to life itself.
Kings or presidents come and go. What always matters is doing God's will here and now. That means ensuring that the moral law God engraved in our nature is respected and reflected in particular laws.
We return to each of the four visions of the Kingdom. All are realised in Jesus, and we are meant to keep them in a healthy tension or balance: the cosmic vision, the inward vision, the social vision and the future vision.
Jesus reigns as the Word through whom the whole cosmos was created.
He reigns within us, through the grace of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He reigns in society, wherever justice is done in his name.
He reigns in the future hope of the coming Kingdom, when ultimately all will be handed over to the Father and everything will find its purpose.
For now, our eyes return to earth, to the world around us, to the tension of the "now" but "not yet" that runs through our experiences of life. "Reign! Jesus, reign!" We hear the song of praise soaring to the rafters of a great cathedral - a prayer of love and gratitude. Yet within it is the hope and the plea of the words he taught us: "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".
When the heroic Jesuit, Blessed Miguel Pro, was shot by order of a dictator in Mexico City in 1928, he held his arms outstretched and cried "Viva Cristo Re!" - "Long live Christ the King!" This was the cry of not a few Catholics in the pre-War era of the last century.
For some it expressed the vision of a totally Catholic society, even a return to "Christendom", the vision of a totally Christian world that prevailed in Europe in the Middle Ages. Such unrealistic ideals failed to gain much ground among Australian Catholic social thinkers, but they still held on to the "social kingship" of Christ. They believed that, in a real sense, we are working to make Jesus the Lord of human society, imbuing society with his ethic of truth, love and justice.
They were inspired by the courageous social teaching of Pope Pius XI, who established the feast of Christ the King. But the Pope's intentions to set Christ's reign against totalitarian ideologies in the 'Thirties were thwarted. The "social kingship" was high-jacked by extremists and opportunists, particularly in France by those who collaborated with the Nazis during the German Occupation (1940-1944). In reaction to such political delusions, the post-War social doctrine of the Church avoided the militancy found in some verses of hymns such as "Hail Redeemer, King Divine!" or "Thee, O Christ the Prince of Ages".
At Vatican II, there were references to Christ's kingdom and his priestly, regal and prophetic roles, but we find no specific teaching on his "social kingship". In the post-conciliar liturgy the reign of Christ has been generalized and spiritualized. Now Jesus the Lord rules in a cosmic sense and in our hearts and lives. That is true and good, but should he not also be reigning in society?
The social reign of the Lord could be "re-visioned" in modern perspectives such as: the teachings of Vatican II, the cultural revolutions, the social teachings of John Paul II, the implosion of Communism, accelerating secularist challenges and the dreams and hopes of the Third Millennium.
A Kingdom of Justice
One common meeting point for a new vision of the reign of Jesus is a concern for justice. In the magnificent preface of the Mass of Christ the King the celebrant proclaims that his is a "kingdom of justice". But justice issues reveal a tension between the "now" and the "not yet" of the Kingdom. Jesus tells us that "The Kingdom of God is among you". Yet he teaches us to pray that the kingdom may come, that God's will may be done "on earth". Then we "wait in joyful hope" for his Kingdom.
We welcome his reign among us, yet we look forward to its coming. We fight for justice, yet we long for that day when justice will be given to the poor, the hungry and oppressed, the suffering. We see only too clearly that Christ does not reign on earth. The lying "lord of the world" (a description of Satan in John's Gospel), reigns through corruption, greed, drug abuse, abortions, racism, wars, exploitation of women, elderly folk and children, contempt for the family, religious persecution etc.
A Scriptural Basis
Amidst these tensions, the Scriptures do find a place for the social reign of Christ. We learn through Revelation that there are at least four visions of the Kingdom of God: the cosmic vision, the inward vision, the social vision and the future vision of the Kingdom. Christians should try to keep these visions together in a healthy balance. To exaggerate one at the expense of the others robs the kingdom teaching of Jesus of much of its richness and depth. First we need to return to the Old Testament, finding in the Hebrew Scriptures the basis of Christ's kingdom teaching.
The God of Israel reigned at a cosmic level. The "Lord" is also the "King of the Universe" in the Passover table prayers that have been adapted in the preparation of the gifts in our Roman Rite Mass: "Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread/wine to offer….". Through the temple worship God was adored in "enthronement psalms", that still influence our liturgies.
According to the inward vision of the Kingdom, evident in the later Wisdom Literature, the God of Israel ruled as Lord in the heart of each just person, faithful to Covenant Law. At times this was only a "remnant", a faithful minority, and under persecution the faith of Israel had to be guarded in a discreet way. Often those who were faithful were the poorest of the poor.
In terms of the social vision of the Kingdom, God reigned through the corporate fidelity of his chosen People to their great Covenant. By living the Law revealed to Moses in the ten "words" of the Lord (the commandments), Israel accepted the kingship of One who set the terms of the Covenant and yet was always faithful to it, a pattern that is clear in the covenant treaties of the ancient Middle East. Thus, in social terms, God was the real King and protector of the community, no matter whether it was governed by judges or kings.
The prophets affirmed the divine reign in terms of radical social justice for the poor and outcasts and strangers. At a more intimate social level, God reigned in the family through the royal mission of married love, especially by raising children as members of the chosen People.
The future vision of the divine Kingdom developed in two stages, first in the hope of a promised Land, especially as Israel moved from Egypt into the prepared place. Then, after all the twists and turns of living under earthly kings ended in the captivity in Babylon, the people hoped for a new kingdom of Israel, a restoration and triumph, God's vindication of his suffering People, crushed by Syria, Babylon, Greece and Rome. This developed into the prophetic hope of a promised saviour figure, an earthly king sent on a divine mission, the Messiah. In some literature he will be a new David, that is, the ideal king, the true "son of David". In other traditions he is a celestial "Son of Man".
The Messiah King
In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) these traditions converge around Jesus of Nazareth and his coming. He reveals his kingship by constantly teaching about "the Kingdom" or reign of God. In certain parables, in his ethical teaching, his warnings and promises of God's future, he reveals himself as the Messiah, the Christ, an anointed King, who is equally Priest and Prophet. Here and in the world to come he is both Son of God and Son of Man. Yet his Kingdom parables bear a subtle theme - the "hiddenness" of the Kingdom, its secret dimension, its sudden arrival, its intangible qualities.
His Kingdom bears the paradox that the "not so respectable" characters of society (prostitutes and racketeers) can storm it by their radical repentance. He reminds his listeners that it belongs to those regarded as "little ones" in the world of his time, women, especially widows, small children, the sick, the lame and the blind. They will take first place in the royal nuptial banquet that features in his teaching and is part of the climax of the whole New Testament library (Revelation 19: 6-9).
The healing miracles draw these little ones into the divine order. The carefully recorded miracles are common to all four Gospels. Undoubtedly historical and essential to any account of the life of Jesus, his many miracles are not conjuring tricks designed to impress or to impose faith. They too herald a new order, the coming of the Kingdom of the true Messiah when all will be set right. In John's Gospel they are the "signs" of the Kingdom, also presented as the fulfilment of Isaiah's messianic prophecy in Luke's Gospel (Luke 4: 16-27).
In John's Gospel Pontius Pilate retorts: "So you are a king then?" (John 18: 37) But Jesus had already said, "my kingship is not of this world". Does that mean it is "otherworldly"? Not necessarily, hence our caution about over-emphasising a inward-looking vision of his reign: "the kingdom of God is within you". In John's Gospel the terms "this world" have a derogatory meaning: "Mine is no worldly kingship." is what Jesus says to doubting Pilate, in fact implicitly contrasting his Kingdom to the ruthless rule of Rome. But there is also the nuance that his kingdom is still to come, the reign of truth. First he must wear a mocking crown of thorns and be enthroned on a criminal's cross. This King must die to gather his people around him. This King is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah's prophecies (Isaiah 53).
His kingship is sealed in Resurrection triumph and particularly in the Ascension. In that "enthronement" event we are called both to look forward to his return and to go out to "all nations" building his Kingdom here. The living Church is the dawn of his Kingdom. Through the Church his Kingdom grows. In every act of love and justice, the gentle dominion of the Lord extends, even among those who, as yet, do not know his name. Christ reigns as we build a just social order, beginning in the family and by affirming the basic right to life itself.
Kings or presidents come and go. What always matters is doing God's will here and now. That means ensuring that the moral law God engraved in our nature is respected and reflected in particular laws.
We return to each of the four visions of the Kingdom. All are realised in Jesus, and we are meant to keep them in a healthy tension or balance: the cosmic vision, the inward vision, the social vision and the future vision.
Jesus reigns as the Word through whom the whole cosmos was created.
He reigns within us, through the grace of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He reigns in society, wherever justice is done in his name.
He reigns in the future hope of the coming Kingdom, when ultimately all will be handed over to the Father and everything will find its purpose.
For now, our eyes return to earth, to the world around us, to the tension of the "now" but "not yet" that runs through our experiences of life. "Reign! Jesus, reign!" We hear the song of praise soaring to the rafters of a great cathedral - a prayer of love and gratitude. Yet within it is the hope and the plea of the words he taught us: "thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".
Solemnity of Christ the King 22nd November 2009
The Church is not driven by worldly ambition to dominate. Rather it is motivated to do just one thing, the work of Christ under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For Christ came among us to bear witness to the truth and not to condemn, to serve and not be served, to seek out and save the lost.
The kingship of Christ has nothing to do with the power, luxury, splendor and pretentiousness associated with the principalities and powers of this world. The kingship of Christ comes to us with something ancient, an image we have lost, namely the metaphor of the shepherd-king. That ancient calling, that ancient role, was rich. It had a depth that we moderns are barely able to fathom. Perhaps it is now beyond our reach. But maybe not.
If you’ve read C. S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe you’ll remember the children who entered a land ruled by a lion named Aslan. While visiting the Beaver family, Mr. Beaver tells them about the mighty lion king Aslan, mighty and yet benevolent, who provides for all of the animals while keeping order in his kingdom. “Oh,” cries one of the children, “is he quite safe?” “Safe?” replied Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? He strikes fear in your very soul. His roar is filled with power. Safe? No, not safe. But Aslan is good.” As you perhaps know, Aslan is C. S. Lewis’ analogue for Jesus Christ. Mr. Lewis is attempting to overcome our tendency to take God too lightly.
All too often we’re guilty of the sin of presumption, vainly taking God for granted, assuming that of course He will forgive us for anything we do. True, Christ is meek and mild, comforting, tender, inviting, and nurturing. And so are shepherds. Nevertheless shepherds are often weather-beaten, gnarled, and often scarred from fighting off wolves and others beasts that would ravish the sheep. Furthermore shepherds separate out the goats from the sheep, something that requires them to be seemingly harsh judges.
Today’s reading from the prophet Ezekiel throws light on God being mighty, powerful, and fearsome while at the same time caring for the lost, the plundered, the beaten-down, and the exiled. Ezekiel used the imagery of the shepherd to describe God. In Exekiel’s time, everyone would have instantly recognized the analogy. The shepherd would be their only protection; they were defenseless. God’s might and tenderness, both, were needed.
We just heard a portion of Psalm 23. If you go to Psalms 25, 26 and 27 (especially 27) you will hear our Lion King comforting us with words of tender, loving care. Perhaps in them we may feel the full impact of Christ’s inaugural address when at the beginning of His public ministry He declares: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."
If today you are feeling lost, defenseless, injured, and discouraged, then open up your hearts. Your shepherd king comes for you. If, however, you are feeling smug, self-satisfied, and dismissive about your Church, your religion, and your God, then perhaps you should feel some unease. Ezekiel, the prophet, has the word of the Lord for you: “The sleek and strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly. As for you, I will judge between one sheep and another.”
Shepherds have tender hearts, but have leathery skins, sharp eyes, and voices that cannot be ignored without putting yourself in peril. Shepherds lie down at night across the opening to the stone-hedged sheepfold and thereby put their bodies on the line so that wolves would have to pass over them to enter the sheepfold. Shepherds, in other words, are “tough cookies”, not to be trifled with.
Today, the last Sunday in the Church’s liturgical year, we are confronted with the Lion King who is our final judge. He has loved us with great passion. With all the more passion He defends us from spiritual forces on high that seek to devour our souls. The greater the love, the greater the passion. The opposite of love is not anger and wrath -- it is apathy and indifference. And God, our Lion King Shepherd, is anything but apathetic.
The kingship of Christ has nothing to do with the power, luxury, splendor and pretentiousness associated with the principalities and powers of this world. The kingship of Christ comes to us with something ancient, an image we have lost, namely the metaphor of the shepherd-king. That ancient calling, that ancient role, was rich. It had a depth that we moderns are barely able to fathom. Perhaps it is now beyond our reach. But maybe not.
If you’ve read C. S. Lewis’ book, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe you’ll remember the children who entered a land ruled by a lion named Aslan. While visiting the Beaver family, Mr. Beaver tells them about the mighty lion king Aslan, mighty and yet benevolent, who provides for all of the animals while keeping order in his kingdom. “Oh,” cries one of the children, “is he quite safe?” “Safe?” replied Mr. Beaver. “Who said anything about safe? He strikes fear in your very soul. His roar is filled with power. Safe? No, not safe. But Aslan is good.” As you perhaps know, Aslan is C. S. Lewis’ analogue for Jesus Christ. Mr. Lewis is attempting to overcome our tendency to take God too lightly.
All too often we’re guilty of the sin of presumption, vainly taking God for granted, assuming that of course He will forgive us for anything we do. True, Christ is meek and mild, comforting, tender, inviting, and nurturing. And so are shepherds. Nevertheless shepherds are often weather-beaten, gnarled, and often scarred from fighting off wolves and others beasts that would ravish the sheep. Furthermore shepherds separate out the goats from the sheep, something that requires them to be seemingly harsh judges.
Today’s reading from the prophet Ezekiel throws light on God being mighty, powerful, and fearsome while at the same time caring for the lost, the plundered, the beaten-down, and the exiled. Ezekiel used the imagery of the shepherd to describe God. In Exekiel’s time, everyone would have instantly recognized the analogy. The shepherd would be their only protection; they were defenseless. God’s might and tenderness, both, were needed.
We just heard a portion of Psalm 23. If you go to Psalms 25, 26 and 27 (especially 27) you will hear our Lion King comforting us with words of tender, loving care. Perhaps in them we may feel the full impact of Christ’s inaugural address when at the beginning of His public ministry He declares: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."
If today you are feeling lost, defenseless, injured, and discouraged, then open up your hearts. Your shepherd king comes for you. If, however, you are feeling smug, self-satisfied, and dismissive about your Church, your religion, and your God, then perhaps you should feel some unease. Ezekiel, the prophet, has the word of the Lord for you: “The sleek and strong I will destroy, shepherding them rightly. As for you, I will judge between one sheep and another.”
Shepherds have tender hearts, but have leathery skins, sharp eyes, and voices that cannot be ignored without putting yourself in peril. Shepherds lie down at night across the opening to the stone-hedged sheepfold and thereby put their bodies on the line so that wolves would have to pass over them to enter the sheepfold. Shepherds, in other words, are “tough cookies”, not to be trifled with.
Today, the last Sunday in the Church’s liturgical year, we are confronted with the Lion King who is our final judge. He has loved us with great passion. With all the more passion He defends us from spiritual forces on high that seek to devour our souls. The greater the love, the greater the passion. The opposite of love is not anger and wrath -- it is apathy and indifference. And God, our Lion King Shepherd, is anything but apathetic.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
We hope that the new website for those involved with youth work and the Augustinians in Ireland will be launched on December 10th, 2009, when the Irish Province of Augustinians will be holding a province assembly.
This assembly will be focused on the best way that the newly-formed communities (since the chapter) can implement the decisions of the chapter.
While not a legislative body, the Province Assembly is an important forum to ensure that the voice of every member is heard and also to explore ideas and suggestions on an ongoing basis.
I hope that people will participate in the website as much as possible as it will be a great way of sharing information, ideas, photos and many other things.
This assembly will be focused on the best way that the newly-formed communities (since the chapter) can implement the decisions of the chapter.
While not a legislative body, the Province Assembly is an important forum to ensure that the voice of every member is heard and also to explore ideas and suggestions on an ongoing basis.
I hope that people will participate in the website as much as possible as it will be a great way of sharing information, ideas, photos and many other things.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - 15th of November 2009
When we hear the words "At that time," or "In those days" we prepare ourselves for a story about the past. This is how the first and third readings of today's Mass begin. But in fact both readings are about the future.
‘Apocalyptic’ is the word used to describe the kind of writing we see in today’s gospel reading. It is practically impossible for us to understand the serious meaning of this today, because (apart from science-fiction) the only apocalyptic we hear is from the lips of fundamentalists who appear to be gloating in advance over the destruction of the world.
Biblical apocalypse was written in times of persecution, to encourage the persecuted by telling them that their sufferings were foreseen by God, and that they would prevail in the end. Courage, not fear, was being promoted.
One aspect of it we can relate to fairly readily in our day: transience. Everything is passing, everything that is living will die. In an age of immense and rapid change we cannot fail to see that everything is passing. In some part of our minds we would like to hold this reality away from us because it is too painful to think about. But the Scriptures tell us to think about these things. “Like a weaver you (God) have rolled up my life, you cut me off from the loom” (Is 38:12). It is a pagan thing to deny death and transience, for if there is no death there is no resurrection. Let's take whatever assurance we can get from the apocalyptic message of today's gospel.
There is something else that apocalyptic writing can show us about ourselves: our bondage to calendars and clocks. A gentle Indian nun who had lived for a year in the West had finally got courage to say how she perceived us. "Western people," she said, "are always asking, 'Why?' and 'How much?' and 'What time is it?'" We want to know when something is going to happen, as if this were the heart of the matter. It is the fact that everything is coming to an end that is central, not when it will happen. There is even a sense in which it is happening every moment. Every moment my personal world, with its dream of permanence, is coming to an end. Every moment, because my world is coming to and end, I see that I cannot find security in the past but must throw myself on God's mercy, every moment.
November 13th - Feast of All Saints of the Augustinian Order
Each year on the 13th of November the Augustinians celebrate the feasts of All Saints of the Augustinian Order. There are many saints and blesseds to be found through the centuries who were members of the Order. Some of the most well known are St Rita, St Nicholas and St Thomas of Villanova. There is one Irishman among them. He is Blessed William Tirry who was martyred during penal times at Fethard, Co Tipperary.
This feast, however, is not just about these well known people. It includes all the many men and women, members of the Order who have dedicated their lives to the service of God's people down through the years. Some of these worked in parishes and schools; some were missionaries; some worked in public churches, hospitals, prisons, universities and social centres. They all have one thing in common - they were inspired by the Augustinian vision of life in common as a means to service and of a common search for God.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Many thanks to John in Galway who forwarded this article
The Augustinians in Galway
The history of the Augustinians in Galway goes back to 1508. It was in this year that the order opened a house outside the city walls. In 1602, there was a plan to fortify the city. As a result of this the friary and cemetery were levelled and a military fort was built in its place. This fort was occupied by a garrison of English soldiers. Only the church and one small ecclesiastical building were left standing, and the area became known as Forthill.
The buildings in Forthill were later demolished and the local corporation agreed to build a new church on a suitable site once peace had returned to Ireland. Unfortunately the Corporation fell through on its promise, but gave the fathers the use of the courthouse as a place of worship. In 1760 a church was built on a site in Middle Street. In 1838, the Augustinians moved from their old house in Middle Street to a new convent on St Augustine Street. The fathers began to focus on the construction of a new church on the Middle Street site and began to collect money in Ireland and abroad. The design for the new church was done by a Dublin architect B Moran.
On August 28 1859, the church was consecrated. It was a great liturgical occasion and was presided over by Bishop McEvilly. Several other Bishops were in attendence along with several many priests.
The Augustinian or Augi as it is known by many Galwegians has undergone many changes since. The most recent change has been the most dramatic, but the church still remains a very popular place of worship. There are at present 3 resident Friars. They are Fr Dick Lyng pp, Fr Des Foley prior and Fr John Whelanand Bro Noel Keane. The Augustinian is also well known for its excellent choir who sing every sunday at the 11am mass. Just recently the choir brought out their very own cd entitled "To sing is to pray twice". A visit to the city of the tribes is not complete without a visit to this beautiful church.
The history of the Augustinians in Galway goes back to 1508. It was in this year that the order opened a house outside the city walls. In 1602, there was a plan to fortify the city. As a result of this the friary and cemetery were levelled and a military fort was built in its place. This fort was occupied by a garrison of English soldiers. Only the church and one small ecclesiastical building were left standing, and the area became known as Forthill.
The buildings in Forthill were later demolished and the local corporation agreed to build a new church on a suitable site once peace had returned to Ireland. Unfortunately the Corporation fell through on its promise, but gave the fathers the use of the courthouse as a place of worship. In 1760 a church was built on a site in Middle Street. In 1838, the Augustinians moved from their old house in Middle Street to a new convent on St Augustine Street. The fathers began to focus on the construction of a new church on the Middle Street site and began to collect money in Ireland and abroad. The design for the new church was done by a Dublin architect B Moran.
On August 28 1859, the church was consecrated. It was a great liturgical occasion and was presided over by Bishop McEvilly. Several other Bishops were in attendence along with several many priests.
The Augustinian or Augi as it is known by many Galwegians has undergone many changes since. The most recent change has been the most dramatic, but the church still remains a very popular place of worship. There are at present 3 resident Friars. They are Fr Dick Lyng pp, Fr Des Foley prior and Fr John Whelanand Bro Noel Keane. The Augustinian is also well known for its excellent choir who sing every sunday at the 11am mass. Just recently the choir brought out their very own cd entitled "To sing is to pray twice". A visit to the city of the tribes is not complete without a visit to this beautiful church.
Monday, November 9, 2009
20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
It has just occured to me that most of you were born and infants while the very real problem of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain affected our world. I reproduce here an article from Wikipedia (not always the most reliable) and I have preserved the links so that you can learn what this actually meant - Imagine a Europe without the European Union, imagine a Europe where half the population had no freedom!!!
The Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a concrete barrier erected by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) (East Germany) that completely encircled the city of West Berlin, separating it from East Germany, including East Berlin. The Wall included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses.
The separate and much longer inner German Border (the IGB) demarcated the border between East and West Germany. Both borders came to symbolize the Iron Curtain between Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc.
Prior to the Wall's erection, 3.5 million East Germans had avoided Eastern Bloc emigration restrictions and escaped into West Germany, many over the border between East and West Berlin. During its existence from 1961 to 1989, the Wall stopped almost all such emigration and separated the GDR from West Berlin for more than a quarter of a century.[1] After its erection, around 5,000 people attempted to escape over the wall, with estimates of the resulting death toll varying between around 100 and 200.
During a revolutionary wave sweeping across the Eastern Bloc, the East German government announced on November 9, 1989, after several weeks of civil unrest, that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans climbed onto and crossed the wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. Over the next few weeks, parts of the wall were chipped away by a euphoric public and by souvenir hunters; industrial equipment was later used to remove almost all of the rest. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded on October 3, 1990.
The separate and much longer inner German Border (the IGB) demarcated the border between East and West Germany. Both borders came to symbolize the Iron Curtain between Western Europe and the Eastern Bloc.
Prior to the Wall's erection, 3.5 million East Germans had avoided Eastern Bloc emigration restrictions and escaped into West Germany, many over the border between East and West Berlin. During its existence from 1961 to 1989, the Wall stopped almost all such emigration and separated the GDR from West Berlin for more than a quarter of a century.[1] After its erection, around 5,000 people attempted to escape over the wall, with estimates of the resulting death toll varying between around 100 and 200.
During a revolutionary wave sweeping across the Eastern Bloc, the East German government announced on November 9, 1989, after several weeks of civil unrest, that all GDR citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. Crowds of East Germans climbed onto and crossed the wall, joined by West Germans on the other side in a celebratory atmosphere. Over the next few weeks, parts of the wall were chipped away by a euphoric public and by souvenir hunters; industrial equipment was later used to remove almost all of the rest. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for German reunification, which was formally concluded on October 3, 1990.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - 8th November 2009
Readings:
I Kings 17, 10-16
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 12:38-44
Difficult as it is, we Christians must constantly discipline ourselves to listen to what the gospel Jesus actually says, not to what we’d like him to say. Nowhere is this more a problem than in today’s gospel passage. Once our church “got institutionalized” this narrative took on a meaning totally counter to what Mark and the historical Jesus originally intended. Any priest or deacon who leaves out verses 38-40 of this passage will one day have to answer to both at the pearly gates.
Their inclusion is essential to correctly understanding what Jesus says about the widow’s “two small coins.”Mark’s Jesus begins by warning his followers never to give in to the temptation of imitating a leadership model that is completely at odds with the model he himself lives and teaches. “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the market places, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.”
He then brings up one of their most atrocious, hurtful practices. “They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” Such unscrupulous leaders prey on the poorest, most powerless people in the community, expecting them to support their scandalous lifestyle. But, don’t worry. After these helpless individuals have given their last penny, they have their leaders’ guarantee: “We’ll say one for you!”
After this 
seething rebuke, Mark has Jesus sit down “opposite the (temple) treasury” to present “Exhibit A.”“A poor widow . . . came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.” The very thing he warned his followers never to do was taking place before their very eyes.
seething rebuke, Mark has Jesus sit down “opposite the (temple) treasury” to present “Exhibit A.”“A poor widow . . . came and put in two small coins worth a few cents.” The very thing he warned his followers never to do was taking place before their very eyes.We’ve so often heard this event quoted on the occasion of priests and ministers pleading with their communities to either up their weekly donations or make a pledge for a new building project that we supply something to the text that’s conspicuously missing: Jesus praising the widow for her generosity.
At no point does Jesus ever say, “Isn’t this great? I expect my followers to imitate her unselfish example.” Homilists usually tell us that’s the point of the story; but in the gospel Jesus never mentions it. In this context he’s simply pointing out how some leaders have religiously brainwashed their constituents into believing they should give their all to take care of the religious institution, even those poor individuals whom the institution should be taking care of.
How could we have so misconstrued Jesus’ words and intentions?The true biblical concern for others is at the heart of our Elijah reading. The prophet not only is taken care of by the widow of Zarephath, he, in turn, takes care of her and her son; “the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jar of oil run dry... ."
When our Hebrews author speaks about Christ “not entering into a sanctuary made by hands, a mere copy of the true one,” he seems to be buying into Plato’s belief that everything in our world is just a poor copy of the real thing in heaven. The writer wants his readers to understand how Jesus’ actions in our lives are far superior to anything humans experienced before his death and resurrection. No building or institution can replace what he did for us and others.
In a North American College lecture over 45 years ago, Cardinal John Wright asked, “What if every church owned piece of property would suddenly be destroyed; how would we live our faith?” Were that to happen, we might actually be forced, like Jesus, to concentrate more on people than on things.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Core Team Meeting - 14th November 2009
The Core Team is being asked to meet on 14th November 2009. The meeting will take place in the Parish House in Meath Street in Dublin at 2pm.
Those who are travelling will be reimbursed for their costs on production of a receipt.
Those who will need lunch please let me know before the meeting.
The topics to be discussed are the following:
1: Website for Augustinian Youth
2: Day of recollection for youth groups
3: International Augustinian Youth Encounter London 2010
4: Fundraising
If you have any concerns you wish to be raised at the meeting please tell your Core Team representative - If your representative cannot be present at the meeting please send a replacement.
Currently your representatives are the following:
Drogheda - Niall
New Ross - Samantha
Cork - Clare
Cork - Gosia
Galway - Eoin
Ballyboden - ??? Conaill has stepped down so we need a new representative from Ballyboden
Any questions contact me
Noel
Saturday, October 31, 2009
A Christian approach to Hallowe'en
Hallowe'enEve of All SaintsOctober 31st
Hallowe'en - a Christian Holiday
by Helen Hull Hitchcock
Not long ago, a friend and I were talking about children and holidays. "What am I going to do about Hallowe'en?" she asked. "My kids love planning costumes, figuring out jokes and riddles for trick-or-treating, and then there's the big night when dozens of neighbor children come to our door for handouts. But now I wonder if it's right for Christians to let our kids participate in pagan holidays like this at all."
Her concern was real — and considering some of the adult Hallowe'en street celebrations in recent years, anyone would think this is a deeply pagan festivity. (The same might be said of Mardi Gras celebrations!) Add to that the fact that some people today actually claim to be witches. They have claimed "ownership" of Hallowe'en. They claim it is really an ancient pagan harvest festival.
What about this? Can even innocent children's parties, trick-or-treating, dressing up like witches and ghosts on October 31 — be participating in a pagan religious celebration? Worse, is it a way of seducing our kids into the occult or devil worship?
Are we compromising our religious beliefs and principles by letting our children, even if innocently, dabble in something that has its origins in evil? As Catholic families, what is our obligation to be consistent and true to our faith?
We think that Hallowe'en can be a real teaching moment. Despite what many people think — or what some modern-day "witches" may claim — Hallowe'en is and has always been a Christian holiday.
The word Hallowe'en itself is a contraction of "Hallowed evening". Hallowed is an old English word for "holy" — as in "Hallowed be Thy Name", in the Lord's Prayer.
Why is this evening "hallowed"? Because is is the eve of the Feast of All Saints — which used to be called All Hallows. Like Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, and the Easter Vigil, the Church's celebration of her greatest feasts begins the evening before. (This follows the ancient Jewish practice of beginning the celebration of the Sabbath at sundown on Friday evening.)
We need to begin to re-Christianize or re-Catholicize Hallowe'en by repairing the broken link to its Christian meaning and significance. We need to reattach it to All Saints Day — and to All Souls Day, for it is only in relation to this that we can understand the original and true significance of the "hallowed eve".
The Communion of Saints
The Church's belief in the Communion of Saints is a key to unlocking the real mystery of Hallowe'en and to restoring its connection to the Church's celebration of All Saints and commemoration of All Souls.
The Communion of Saints is really a definition of the Church: the unity in faith in Christ of all believers, past, present and future, in heaven and on the earth. We are united as one body in Christ by holy things, especially the Eucharist, which both represents the Mystical Body of Christ and brings it about. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church §960)
The Communion of Saints also means the communion in Christ of holy persons (saints) — "so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all". (CCC §961)
So, as Pope Paul VI put it, "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church".
Furthermore, "we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and His saints is always [attentive] to our prayers". (CCC §962)
This is why Catholics honor the saints and "pray to the saints". (Actually, what we are doing is are asking them to pray for us -- to add their prayers to ours, just as we might ask a friend to pray for us. This is known as "intercessory prayer".)
It is because of our belief in the communion of all the faithful in Christ — in this world or in the next — that Catholics pray for the dead, for all those those have died and who are being purified (in Purgatory), that they will soon be granted eternal rest in heaven with God and reunited with all the saints.
Feast of All Saints - Sunday 1st of November 2009
What is commanded by the fourth Beatitude? What is forbidden by the seventh Beatitude? We were never given answers to such questions in our childhood. In fact such questions were never asked. But we had to memorise answers on each of the Ten Commandments: not only to the questions ‘What is commanded’ and ‘What is forbidden’ by each of the Commandments, but ‘What else is commanded’ and ‘What else is forbidden’. That came to 40 answers. But there was silence on the Beatitudes – even though they are the essence of the Sermon on the Mount, as the Sermon on the Mount is the essence of the Gospel. This was surely an imbalance: the Old Testament choking out the New.
Many ancient writers saw the parallel and the contrast between Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai, and Jesus pronouncing the Beatitudes on the Mount of Olives. Chromatius, who flourished around the year 400, wrote, “When the law was first given on the mountain, the people were forbidden to draw close. But now, as the Lord was teaching on the mountain, no one is forbidden. Rather, all are invited that they may hear, because there is severity in the law and grace in the gospel.”
The very first word tells it all. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Another translation says “How happy are the poor in spirit.” But there are differences between ‘blessed’ and ‘happy’.
You can be blessed without knowing it. I saw this clearly as I watched a young couple almost competing with each other to hold their baby, while the baby slept through it all. And you can be blessed without appreciating it. “You’re blessed with good health,” someone says to you; but you don’t feel blessed at all, you feel just normal. It is only when you fall ill that you appreciate health.
“When you have a toothache,” said Thich Nhat Hanh, “you realise how wonderful it is not to have a toothache.”
Happiness, on the other hand, is just a passing state of feeling. The word ‘happiness’ is related to ‘happen’ and ‘perhaps’: it’s about randomness, it’s about hit and miss. Feelings, like the weather, come and go and are constantly changing. You can't stake a claim to happiness because it’s not firm ground and stakes take no hold there.
Jesus doesn’t tell you that you are happy. He tells you that you are blessed. He tells the poor in spirit that whether they know it or not, whether they appreciate it or not, they are blessed. Blessedness comes from beyond the changeable world of feelings and ideas. The mediaeval theologians spoke about ‘beatitudo’. It was not the subjective feeling of happiness but the objective state of being rightly aligned in one’s life.
As we go through our phases we are to know that there is a loving God who cares for us with the love of a father and a mother. It is especially when we are weak and without resources of our own that we come to know it. It is when we ourselves begin, even in the slightest degree, to embody some of God's own qualities, made visible in the face of Jesus – that we know it. The Beatitudes are the best portrait we have of Jesus himself, and he honours us by telling us they are our portrait too.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Reaction to BBC Question Time Programme on Thursday 22nd October 2009
As I watched the Question Time programme tonight I was very struck by the amount of times the British National Party leader made reference to the importance of maintaining a Christian culture.
I agree that a Christian culture can be a great impetus for a society. However, I also believe that it is impossible to have a Christian culture without understanding and tolerance.
Many, including my own Church, have acted in the past in the interest of partisan views while claiming to be Christian. This is shameful and should be acknowledged as such... "The truth shall set you free..."
Fascism, Rascism, and other types of bias have no claim to the heritage of the message of Jesus. This is only my opinion (and I am not a political expert) but it seems to me that to argue that such ideas are comfortable with a Christian faith is fundamentally erroneous.
I was reminded of the following words:
"When they came for the Jews, I did nothing, for I am not a Jew. When they came for the Socialists, I did nothing, for I am not a Socialist. When they came for the labour leaders, the homosexuals, the gypsies, I did nothing, for I am none of these, and when they came for me, I was alone, there was no one to stand up for me". -- Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran pastor from Nazi Germany
Certainly, this might be considered a selfish approach since it suggests that I will only speak for you if you will speak for me. It reminds me of a quotation i rememberly imperfectly from a translation of the Czech Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Seifert who, in the context of protesting against communism wrote (and I am quoting this inexactly) "When there is so much grass, why should one blade speak?"
The question about censoring this sort of opinion is one I am not interested in. I am interested in challenging it in its relation to Christianity.
What do you think? (If you haven't seen this programme it is available on youtube, just look for Nick Griffin Question Time Interview)
I agree that a Christian culture can be a great impetus for a society. However, I also believe that it is impossible to have a Christian culture without understanding and tolerance.
Many, including my own Church, have acted in the past in the interest of partisan views while claiming to be Christian. This is shameful and should be acknowledged as such... "The truth shall set you free..."
Fascism, Rascism, and other types of bias have no claim to the heritage of the message of Jesus. This is only my opinion (and I am not a political expert) but it seems to me that to argue that such ideas are comfortable with a Christian faith is fundamentally erroneous.
I was reminded of the following words:
"When they came for the Jews, I did nothing, for I am not a Jew. When they came for the Socialists, I did nothing, for I am not a Socialist. When they came for the labour leaders, the homosexuals, the gypsies, I did nothing, for I am none of these, and when they came for me, I was alone, there was no one to stand up for me". -- Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran pastor from Nazi Germany
Certainly, this might be considered a selfish approach since it suggests that I will only speak for you if you will speak for me. It reminds me of a quotation i rememberly imperfectly from a translation of the Czech Nobel Prize winner Jaroslav Seifert who, in the context of protesting against communism wrote (and I am quoting this inexactly) "When there is so much grass, why should one blade speak?"
The question about censoring this sort of opinion is one I am not interested in. I am interested in challenging it in its relation to Christianity.
What do you think? (If you haven't seen this programme it is available on youtube, just look for Nick Griffin Question Time Interview)
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B - 25th October 2009
Readings:
Jeremiah 31:7-9
Hebrews 5:1-6
Mark 10:46-52
I can’t stress enough the importance of today’s gospel passage. Those who regard it as just another miracle story have no idea how it fits into Mark’s gospel and theology. There’s not enough space in this brief commentary to delve into all its facets. But, for a start, it must be exegeted in the context of the preceding narrative.
Mark never thought anyone would hear it independent of James and John’s misguided request for the “glory seats.” Their demand not only is rejected by Jesus, it shows they don’t know much about true discipleship. Mark expects us to contrast the two brothers with Bartimaeus, the blind beggar.
First notice how often the word “call” is used in reference to Bartimaeus. “Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him.’ So they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take courage; get up. Jesus is calling you.”
Those for whom the passage was originally intended would have automatically heard such a call as a call to discipleship: a call to follow Jesus. As with all biblical calls, the readers were expected to reflect on their own calls by Yahweh or Jesus. That’s why it’s important to see how Bartimaeus responds; it should be a model for our own response. “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up and hurried to Jesus.”There’s no hesitation. The beggar instantly answers Jesus’ call. He throws aside what is probably his only possession - his cloak - and immediately comes to Jesus.
He graphically demonstrates the characteristics of the perfect disciple.Jesus then asks him the same question he put to James and John a few verses before. “What do you want me to do for you?” We remember their ridiculous reply. But here we’re face to face with an ideal follower of Jesus. How does such a generous person respond to such a request? Mark’s readers are bending in closely to hear what Bartimaeus has to say.“Master, I want to see.”
Authentic followers of Jesus ask only to see where he wants us to go; to see what he wants us to do; to see what our discipleship entails. Forget about the glory seats.That’s also why Jesus’ response is so significant. He doesn’t say the expected, “I give you your sight.” Instead, he says something all Christians understand: “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Our faith gives us our sight. Our faith helps us see what Jesus expects of us.
Finally, notice the last line. “He followed him on the way.” Mark started his series of three narratives on dying with Jesus back in chapter 8 with Jesus commanding Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!” Finally we have a 
picture of the perfect disciple: someone following behind Jesus, not someone standing in front of him.
picture of the perfect disciple: someone following behind Jesus, not someone standing in front of him. The very next passage in Mark’s gospel describes Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Bartimaeus is following him down the road to death and resurrection. We, and all disciples, are called to do the same.
Today we could also reflect on Jeremiah’s insights about Yahweh, and apply them to Jesus as the God who leads us out of the many “exiles” we experience in life; the God who offers the only security we need to live a fulfilled life.
Or we can learn from our Hebrews author and think of Jesus as the great high priest who pleads our cause with his heavenly Father.
But there’s something about Mark’s Christology (Theology that focuses on the figure of Christ)that supersedes the other two - mainly because it demands our participation. Our Christian faith never was intended to be a spectator sport.
Young Augustinian Meeting
This week, from 24th to 30th of October the young Augustinians from the Irish and English Provinces will meet in Rome.
In fact, to call us young is a bit of a misnomer - perhaps we might be considered "youngish". Whatever your opinion of our being chronologically challenged; the three youngest Augustinians from Ireland and one Augustinian from England who is part of our peer group meet twice a year.
This is a meeting where we check in with each other in a supportive and challenging way. This has become an important support mechanism for our group who continue to commit within the context of ageing Provinces.
The photo shows two members of the group enjoying the sunshine during our last meeting which was held in Dublin.
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